The historian, 1962-1997

Component identifier:

Series 3

Content Summary:

Barrett's second career as an academic and historian began whilst still a Methodist minister, with his doctoral studies at the Australian National University (1961-1963) under the supervision of Manning Clark and Sir Keith Hancock. The resultant thesis was published in 1966 under the title That better country : the religious aspect of life in eastern Australia, 1835-1850 by Melbourne University Press.

In the 1970s and 1980s as lecturer and reader at La Trobe University, Barrett specialised in 20th century Australian history, particularly national involvement in the world wars. During these years he prepared Falling in : Australians and 'boy conscription', 1911-1915, and undertook further research on wartime emergency measures, the Australian National Defence League and soldier attitudes to W.M. Hughes. In 1982 he embarked with Professor R.B. Joyce on an Australian Research Grant-backed social survey of thousands of Australian World War II soldiers. The resulting analysis of their pre-war background, reasons for enlistment, army experiences and effects of war were published in 1987 under the Viking imprint as We were there : Australian soldiers of World War II. Through his war investigations he became interested in the Australian historian C.E.W. Bean, about whom he published an article 'No straw man : C.E.W. Bean and some critics' in 1987.

In addition to his scholarly works, Barrett contributed papers to a number of academic journals including Historical studies : Australia and New Zealand, Meanjin quarterly and the Journal of Australian Studies, the latter of which he became a member of the editorial board. He also prepared a number of entries on historical figures for the Australian dictionary of biography, including G.M.C. Bowen (1803-1889) and John Kenny (1816-1886). Also filed in this series are research materials and a manuscript entitled 'From Bristol trades to a gentleman of Venice' on the life of clergyman John Davies Mereweather (1816-1896), for which Barrett was unable to find a publisher. Late in life he lodged a short version of the Mereweather story with John Ritchie, editor of the ADB, for possible inclusion in a revised edition of the appropriate volume.

Correspondence in this series reflects friendships formed with Douglas Pike and Hugh Stretton whilst a student at the University of Adelaide, as well as contacts later established with eminent historians at the Australian National and La Trobe Universities.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The papers were donated to the National Library by Barrett's widow Margaret in March 2000. They form an exceptionally orderly collection, characterised by a large body of sustained correspondence, and reflect both Barrett's flair for letter writing and his meticulous approach to record keeping. Series 5 (a letter to his daughter Clare) was added on 3 October 2001.

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